Microsoft Project Quick Tip: Creating a New Summary Task

In Microsoft Project 2010 and 2013, there are actually two different methods for creating a summary task. The first method is the one used in all previous versions of the software, while the second method is a new feature introduced in Microsoft Project 2010.

To create a summary task using the first method, complete the following steps in either Microsoft Project 2010 or 2013:

1. Select the row where you want to create the new summary task and then press the Insert key on your computer keyboard. Microsoft Project creates a new blank row in the selected location.

2. In the new blank row, enter the name of the new summary task in the Task Name column and press the Enter key on your computer keyboard.

3. Select the tasks that you want to make subtasks of the new summary task.

4. In the Schedule section of the Task ribbon, click the Indent Task button shown in the following figure.

Microsoft Project promotes the new task to a summary task and demotes the selected tasks to subtasks of the new summary task. To use the new method for creating a summary task that was introduced in Microsoft Project 2010, complete the following steps in either the 2010 or 2013 version of the software:

1. Select the tasks you want to make subtasks of the new summary task yet to be created.

2. In the Insert section of the Task ribbon, click the Insert Summary Task button shown in the following figure.

Microsoft Project inserts a new summary task with a dummy name and automatically demotes the selected tasks as subtasks of the new summary task, as shown in the following figure.

3. Manually enter a name for the new summary task and press the Enter key on your computer keyboard.

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